


we can't fix this

by jaemarked



Category: NCT (Band), WayV (Band)
Genre: Angst, Break Up, Hurt No Comfort, M/M, Unhappy Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:55:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26636953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaemarked/pseuds/jaemarked
Summary: Maybe things weren’t so bad. Maybe, if anything, he could still do this. He could still make Kun smile.
Relationships: Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten/Qian Kun
Comments: 5
Kudos: 45





	we can't fix this

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kungod](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kungod/gifts).



> comm for my baby lei, i hope you like it!

“I’m home.”

“Hey.”

Ten unties his apron — it’s lilac and embroidered with flowers, given to him by Kun for Christmas last year — and hangs it up on the hook, glancing at the clock on the wall. It’s already eight, and Kun usually gets off at four, but Ten doesn’t mention it. He just takes dinner off the stove and places the pan on a cooling mat on the table. Gets two sets of dinnerware, arranging them on the table with the side dishes he pulled out earlier. 

He steps back and puts his hands on his hips as he surveys the spread. He’s gotten much better at cooking these days. When he first moved in, his kitchen ventures were… disastrous to say the least.

Ten looks up to see Kun lingering in the doorway. His posture is slumped and he has dark circles under his eyes. Ten takes in the downturn of his lips and takes out a bottle of wine from the cabinet, along with two glasses.

“How was work?” Ten asks conversationally as he pours. Kun finally comes into the kitchen and sits down just as Ten finishes pouring the wine. He rounds the table to sit down across from him, feeling strangely hollow. 

Because once upon a time, Kun would come home at 5:30 on the dot, grab Ten by the waist and kiss him until they’re breathless because he couldn’t stand being apart for the nine hours he was gone for work. Because they used to cook dinner together, laughing and singing along to the radio. Because after dinner, they’d clean up together and Kun would splash him with soapy water and he would pretend to be mad, just so Kun would placate him with ice cream and kisses.

But that was a while ago. Things were different now.

It seemed like the later Kun came home, the more distant he got, the angrier and irritable Ten would get until he was starting petty arguments just to get a reaction out of Kun. And the more they fought, the more Kun worked, until he was coming home three or four hours late every day. It wasn’t really anyone’s fault. They were both stressed, tired and frustrated, and everything just built up and up and up. 

But now Ten was trying to make things better and Kun didn’t seem to want to try at all.

“Work was fine,” Kun replied. “How was your day?”

So formal. So polite. They treated each other like strangers and Ten -- now that his head was clear and his anger was gone -- was devastated. Could he even make Kun happy anymore? Could he even make him do anything except grimace, or frown, or make that face as if he was sucking on a lemon? 

“It was… it was good,” Ten said, finally picking up his chopsticks. Kun was already halfway through his meal. He didn’t look like he’d been eating, though. If anything, Kun had drastically lost weight, his face gaunt and his cheekbones prominent. Ten felt shame running through him. He was the retired dancer, the freeloader who lazed around at home, his career ended before it even really began after a knee injury he couldn’t recover from. He was jobless, and he couldn’t even keep his boyfriend fed. Really, what was he even good for? “I was thinking of getting new curtains for the bedroom… maybe yellow or purple?”

“Hmm,” Kun replied noncommittally, and Ten’s heart sank. He pushed around at his food before scooping it into his mouth. It was too salty, and tears welled up in his eyes before he could stop them. He really couldn’t do anything right. “I think yellow would be nice. And this is really good, Tennie, thank you.”

Ten looked up in shock. It had been so long since Kun called him Tennie. “You think so? It’s not too salty?”

“It’s perfect,” Kun replied with a soft smile, and Ten grinned back at him. Maybe things weren’t so bad. Maybe, if anything, he could still do this. He could still make Kun smile. 

He still ended up doing the dishes alone, but it didn’t feel as bad as before. For the first time in months, he actually felt hopeful. Like maybe they could fix things. Maybe what they had wasn’t ruined beyond repair. 

“Ten? Can we talk?” Kun’s voice filtered in from the living room, and Ten quickly shut the tap off, drying his hands on the dish towel before joining Kun on the couch. They sat on opposite ends, and Ten looked at the space between them and saw an ocean.

“What’s up?” He asked, trying for casual.

Kun gave him a wry smile, one that didn’t reach his eyes. He looked heartbroken.

 _Oh,_ Ten thought, _maybe we can’t fix this._

“I know that I’ve been… I’ve been distant lately. I’m so sorry for that. It wasn’t you, okay? It was never anything you did, I need you to know that,” Kun said softly, and Ten nodded. “You’re perfect. You were everything I ever wanted.”

Ten bit the bullet. “So why does it sound like you’re breaking up with me?”

“Because…” Kun took a deep breath. “Okay, so, you know how my parents are, like, crazy rich? And maybe just plain crazy?”

“Yeah,” Ten said slowly. 

“Yeah, well. They did something really crazy,” Kun scoffed, “and now I’m engaged.” The _to someone who isn’t you_ went unspoken, but Ten heard it loud and clear despite the ringing in his ears.

“But--”

“And I _tried_ fighting it,” Kun said desperately. “Believe me, I tried. But they’re -- it’s the whole family. They expect things from me, and it’s not easy to say no. I can’t walk away from them this time?”

“Kun--”

Kun was crying now. Ugly, gasping sobs that wracked through his body. Ten wanted so badly to reach out, but he didn’t know if he was allowed anymore. He thought he should be crying too, but he just felt numb. 

“I’m sorry, Ten, it’s so complicated. And I can’t say no because… well, they’re using Yangyang against me.”

Ten’s eyes widened. “ _No._ What? They can’t do that!”

“They can,” Kun replied, burying his face in his hands. “They’re threatening to disown him. He’s only sixteen, Ten, and he’s been sheltered his whole life, he has no idea what it’s like in the real world. I can’t let them hurt him.”

“But what about you?” Ten whispered. “Who’s gonna protect you?”

“I’ll be fine,” Kun insisted, lowering his hands from his face. He took in a deep, shuddering breath. “But I’m sorry, I can’t see you anymore.”

Ten wanted to be angry. He wanted to shout and maybe punch Kun in the face and grab him by the throat. He wanted to demand why Kun hadn’t told him earlier, why he couldn’t spare him the heartache. He wanted to cry and scream and plead to the world to have mercy on him because hasn’t he had enough? What more could be taken from him? He had _nothing_ left to give. But he didn’t do any of those things. 

“I am _so_ sorry, Ten--”

“It’s okay,” the voice that came out of Ten’s mouth was not his own. He stood up robotically from the couch. His legs threatened to give out under him, but he managed to keep upright. “I understand.”

“ _Ten,_ ” Kun pleaded, standing up too. “You have to know, if there was _any_ other way I--”

“Kun,” Ten said firmly, and he was proud of himself for not wavering one bit. He took a step forward, and then another when Kun didn’t back away, and he gently cupped his boyfriend’s face. _Ex-_ boyfriend. “It’s okay.”

“I’m sorry it had to be this way,” Kun whispered.

Ten pushed Kun’s hair away from his face, pressed a kiss to his forehead, and smiled sadly. “I’m sorry, too.”

“Hey Yongie. Can I stay with you for a couple days?” 

“Yeah, Kun and I broke up.”

“Don’t worry about me. I’m okay.”

“Love you too. See you in a bit.”

Ten pocketed his phone and walked into the jewelry store and placed a small black box on the counter. “Hi, I’d like to return this?”

The sales clerk opened the box to reveal a sparkling gold band embedded with three diamonds. It had cost Ten almost his entire savings, but at the time all he could think about was how it would look on Kun’s hand.

Too bad he’d never get to see it.

The woman behind the counter smiled sympathetically. “I’m sorry, sir, but we don’t do refunds for engagement rings.”

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading!  
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/jaemarking)  
> [curious cat](https://curiouscat.me/jaemarked)


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